


Always

by BrightestDusk



Category: RWBY
Genre: Complete, F/F, Hurt/Comfort, Light Angst, Missing Scene, Volume 7 (RWBY)
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-08-23
Updated: 2020-08-23
Packaged: 2021-03-06 15:46:57
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,500
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26061382
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/BrightestDusk/pseuds/BrightestDusk
Summary: Sleepless thoughts are always the loudest.
Relationships: Weiss Schnee/Yang Xiao Long
Comments: 3
Kudos: 54





	Always

She still couldn’t believe she was back. After everything she had done to escape the confines of her father, here she was, back in the cold clutches of Atlas. Granted, the circumstances were much different now compared to then. She had her teammates, her friends, her _real_ family, and they had promised not to stray from her side. Still, the thought of being a mere minutes distance from her father’s estate caused an unsettling pit to root in her stomach.

Weiss remained motionless at the sound of rustling fabric. Someone was just as awake as she was. She remained facing the wall at the scuffling of feet on the ladder beside her. Given the proximity, it had to have been Yang who decided to get up in the middle of the night. She continued to listen as Yang landed softly on the carpeted floor before the door opened and closed behind her. 

Weiss sat up, rubbing her eyes before running a hand through her hair. She sat contemplating the pros and cons in her head if she were to go after her teammate. Yang and Blake had to face their ultimate demon with no help from herself nor Ruby. Her thoughts returned to her father, how she was left with nobody but herself (and Klein) to guide her.

No, she wasn’t about to leave Yang alone. Not again.

Weiss rose from her bed, grabbing her slippers before slipping out of the dorm.

****

********

Yang ambled to the end of the hallway, seating herself in one of the chairs positioned in front of the tall glass window. She turned around to gaze at the night sky outside, the shattered moon washing the cityscape in a silvery-white glow.

She groaned softly before holding her head in her hands, her elbows braced on her knees. She was so exhausted when Penny was yapping during the campus tour. But now, sleep seemed like a far off dream as her mind stood in rapt attention. 

Adam. Adam was dead. She killed him. Blake was there. Blake killed him too. They killed someone.

Yang’s chest tightened as her thoughts continued to spiral. She forced herself to focus on the breathing techniques Tai had taught her in Patch, back when she had frequent panic attacks. While those attacks had subsided since then, there were some scars she would never be able to fully heal from. 

Scars. Everyone seemed to have them. She lost an arm, Ruby lost Summer, Blake had Adam, and Weiss —

Yang looked up when she thought she heard footsteps. It was late, so there was no reason why anyone else would be outside. A figure ducked behind one of the many doorways lining the hallway.

Long flowing hair. Too long to belong to anyone else. 

“Weiss?” she called out softly.

Weiss winced at the sound of her name. She slowly emerged from her hiding spot, walking down the last stretch of hallway to meet Yang at the end. 

“I’m sorry, I didn’t want to bother you…” She trailed off, rubbing her arm.

Yang looked up at her friend, unable to deny the feeling of relief that spread from her chest to the rest of her body. “It’s okay. I couldn’t sleep, so I came out here for a breather.” Her eyes flitted to the empty chair next to her. “You should sit.”

Weiss averted her gaze from the ground to look at Yang’s offer. She tucked a lock of hair behind her ear before seating herself. She crossed her legs at the ankles as she angled herself towards her.

Yang gave a soft snort. “Still prim and proper as always,” she said with a soft laugh.

Weiss couldn’t conceal the slight pout that emerged on her features. “Excuse me for being concerned over your well-being.” She rolled her eyes slightly.

“I’m just teasing,” Yang laughed. “I’m...glad you’re here, actually.” Her voice had returned to something serious. 

Weiss shifted in her seat. “How are you dealing with everything?” she asked tentatively.

Yang sighed as her shoulders slumped. “I’m not sure if I’m being honest.”

Weiss’ eyes moved back to the floor. “I’m glad you’re okay though,” she offered. “You and Blake, I’m glad you two had each other.”

“Yeah,” Yang said. “I’m glad she's back, that we were there for each other. But, we still had to…” her voice went quiet, unable to bring herself to acknowledge what she and Blake had done out loud.

Yang jolted slightly as a hand covered her own. Warm, comforting, assuring. Weiss had leaned over the arm of her chair, her ice-blue eyes staring directly into Yang’s lilac ones.

“You both did what you had to,” she said softly, but with enough firmness to let Yang know that she meant what she said. “Who knows what would have happened if you two drew it out any longer.”

Yang continued to stare at Weiss, a strange feeling welling up inside her. She recalled their talk back in Mistral, how she poured her heart to her when she needed it most. Weiss had been there for her, and she was here for her now. 

Still, something lurked in the back of her mind, dark and unsettling. 

“What about you?” Yang asked, remembering that she wasn’t the only person who had come to Atlas with prior emotional baggage. “This probably isn’t easy on you either.” She spared a thought to how Weiss’ hand continued to cover her own.

Weiss’ hold on Yang tightened as the conversation steered towards her. Her eyes lowered.

“It’s strange, coming back here after I tried so hard to escape. But now, it doesn’t feel as scary.” Her eyes returned to Yang’s, a soft smile on her face. “Now, I have you guys.”

A pleasant warmth bloomed in Yang’s chest as Weiss smiled at her. She returned the smile as she moved her hand, allowing the fingers on her mechanical arm to lace between Weiss’. 

Weiss didn’t move them. 

For a few minutes, the pair sat in the comfortable silence of the night. Eventually, Weiss broke the silence with a question.

“Yang, can I ask you something? It’s about Adam.” 

Yang’s hand went rigid at the name.

“You don’t have to answer if it’s too much,” she almost whispered. Her thumb left comforting strokes on Yang’s hand.

“No, it’s fine,” Yang said, determined not to let her previous fears control her. “What about him?”

“Did he…” Weiss began to ask, her voice taut with nerves, “did he ever mention anything about my family’s name?”

Yang swallowed hard as the branding that marred Adam’s face came to mind. She bit her bottom lip. Weiss deserved to know the full extent of the horrors her father committed. But did she really? She had made it her mission, her _duty_ , to fix the legacy of the Schnee name. She had already endured enough from him, did she really need this too?

Weiss took note of Yang’s silence. “Yang, I need to know,” she said, her voice small, vulnerable. 

Yang sighed through her nose as her gaze shifted to their joined hands. “He had a branding, it covered nearly half of his face. It had the letters S D C on it.”

A loud silence filled the hallway, one that caused Yang’s stomach to lurch.

“Weiss,” she started, hesitant to meet her gaze, “you aren’t responsible for the things your dad did. You’ve gone through enough, this isn’t on you.” Steeling her nerves, Yang looked up. “It never was.”

There was a strange look in Weiss’ eyes. It wasn’t entirely sad, nor entirely defiant. 

Weiss squeezed Yang’s hand tighter still, as if silently thanking her for her honesty. “I know that now.” She sighed before continuing. “I think coming back here just confirms what I already know — that I’m meant to bring change to the Schnee name.”

Her eyes widened when Yang stood up, their hands still interlocked. Weiss followed suit until the two stood facing each other, the moonlight pouring in through the oversized windows.

“You won’t have to do it alone,” Yang said comfortingly, “We’re here for you. I’m here for you,” she added softer than before.

Weiss’ mouth fell slightly agape. For a few moments, nobody moved a muscle. Yang’s pulse jumped at the tension.

Weiss brought Yang’s hand to her lips, leaving behind a featherlight kiss against her knuckles. 

Yang inhaled audibly as heat rushed to her face. Weiss tucked their joined hands under her chin, resting against them gently as she offered a shy smile. 

“I’m here for you too,” she said, her face tinted pink in the moonlight.

Yang didn’t register her body moving as she pulled Weiss to her, encircling her arms around her in a warm embrace. Her right hand gently cradled her head, holding it against her.

Weiss stood motionless for a brief second before she wrapped her own arms around Yang’s neck, returning the embrace.

“Weiss, thank you...for being there for me.”

Weiss smiled into the crook of Yang’s neck.

“Always.”

**Author's Note:**

> Small little something I wrote a while back for my girls. Constructive feedback is always welcome and appreciated. Thanks for reading!


End file.
